abhorrer

Forms

abhorrer^[1] Middle French abhorrir, aborrir (from 1492 to the 17th century), and an older form avourrir recorded in 13th-century Judeo-French.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin abhorreō (“to shrink back from, to have an aversion to”), formed from ab- and horreō (“to bristle, shudder”).^[2][4][5] The TLFi dates it to 1488, probably earlier in Jean de Vignay (about 1327).^[2]

Beside it Middle French had abhorrir, the only usual form in the 16th century, with the change of conjugation to -ir also found in Old Occitan aborrir, Italian aborrire and Old Spanish aburrir;^[4][2] Bloch and Wartburg suppose a borrowing from one language to another, without knowing where it started.^[4][2] The TLFi thinks the French forms were probably influenced by the popular Old Occitan verb, and Bloch and Wartburg note that the more French form avourrir still lives on around Lyon.^[2][4] Littré dates the return to the form in -er, after the Latin, from after the 16th century.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1488 the Mer des histoires says that it is good to see a little of the pagan gods “pour les abhorrer” (“in order to abhor them”).^[2]

Semantic evolution

The verb has meant “to hold in horror, to loathe” from the start.^[2][6] Since the early 17th century it has also taken a person as object, and it is now a literary word, its derivatives abhorrable and abhorrement being out of use.^[3][7] Littré also records the reflexive s’abhorrer, “to hate each other” or “to hate oneself”.^[5]

Timeline

• 13th century – Judeo-French avourrir “to abhor” is recorded.^[2][4]
• c. 1327 – Jean de Vignay probably uses abhorrer.^[2]
• 1488 – Abhorrer in the Mer des histoires.^[2][4][3]
• 1492 – The variant aborrir is recorded.^[2][3]
• 17th century – Abhorrir falls out of use.^[3][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. (literary) To abhor, to hold in horror, to detest: il abhorre le mensonge.^[8][7][9]
2. S’abhorrer: to hate each other, or to hate oneself.^[5]

Related words

• horreur
• horrible
• Latin abhorreō

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
3. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ Dictionnaire du Moyen Français, version 2015 (DMF 2015), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/dmf
7. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
8. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)